Padlock



June 10, 1969 I A. K. NIILOLA PADLOCK Filed Dec. 13, 1967 United States Patent Int. Cl: E05b 67/22 U.S. Cl. 70-38 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a padlock, consisting of a lock case, a lock cylinder inside the case which can be turned with the aid of a key, and a lock cramp the limbs of which are located on either side of the cylinder, a looking ball having been placed between one limb and the cylinder and which ball is pushed into a notch in the said limb when the cylinder is turned intoits locking position. At the same height as the locking ball is a locking element in and passing through the cylinder, an end of which is adjacent the ball and protrudes from the cylinder so that when the cylinder is turned into its locking position, this element will push the ball into said notch, the opposite end of the locking element resting against a bridge of material between the cylinder and the opposite limb of the lock cramp, the latter cramp having a notch at the same height as the locking element;

The present invention relates to a padlock, consisting of a lock case, containing a lock cylinder which can be turned with the aid of a key and a lock cramp with its two limbs located on either side of the cylinder, a locking ball having been placed between one limb and the cylinder and which is forced into a notch in this limb when the cylinder is turned into its locking position.

Padlocks of this kind have proven efiicient in practice. If one attempts to force the lock era-mp off the lock case, for instance with a crowbar, the ball will resist a force which may be several thousand kilograms.

The aim of the present invention is to make the lock even more durable. The invention is provided essentially in that at the same height as the locking ball there is in the cylinder a locking element passing through it, the end of which adjacent to the ball protrudes from the cylinder so that when the cylinder is turned to its locking position this element will push the ball into said notch, the opposite end of said element resting against a bridge of material between the cylinder and the opposite limb of the lock cramp, the latter cramp having a notch at the same height as the locking element.

When an attempt is made to pull the lock cramp off the lock case, the limb of the cramp adjacent to the ball produces a horizontal component of force acting on the ball and, further, on the locking element passing through the cylinder. When this component is high enough, the rear end of the locking element will cause the bridge of material between said end and the adjacent limb to be deformed so that this bridge enters the notch in the said limb. After such deformation has occurred, the force required to pull the lock cramp away from the 3,448,598 Patented June 10, 1969 lock case is increased by an ample amount. Tests have revealed that the force required to pull the lock cramp away from the lock case may be twice as high as in a lock of otherwise equally strong design, and even higher than 10,000 kilograms.

The invention is hereafter described for the purpose of illustration with reference to the attached drawing, where- FIG. 1 shows, partly in section, a lock according to the invention in its locked position and,

FIG. 2 corresponds to FIG. 1 and shows the lock after the lock cramp has been stressed with a high force.

Within the lock case 1 is a lock cylinder 2, which can be turned with the aid of a key (not shown in the drawing) introduced through the bottom of the lock. The upper end of the lock cylinder 2 carries a locking element 3 passing through it and the right-hand end of which in FIG. 1 protrudes from the lock cylinder 2. Between this end and the adjacent limb 5 of the lock cramp 4 there is positioned a locking ball 6, which the locking element has pushed into the'notch 7 in the said limb 5.

The lock is unlocked by turning the lock cylinder 2 with the aid of the key through an angle of about degrees. The right-hand end of the locking element 3 then releases the ball 6 so that this ball may roll out from the notch 7. The lock cramp 4 may now be drawn out enough to make the lower end 9 of its left limb 8 rise above the upper surface of the lock case 1. The cramp 4 may then be turned around its right-hand limb 5. The procedure is reversed in order to lock the padlock.

If an attempt is made to break the lock by forcing the cramp 4 upwards and the lock case downward, these directions being indicated by arrows in FIG. 2, the lower edge of the notch 7 in the right-hand limb 5 of the cramp 4 gives rise to a horizontal force component acting on the ball 6. From the ball this component is transmitted to the locking element 3. When the force stressing the lock is high enough, the left end of the locking element 3 causes deformation of the bridge of material 10 located between the said end and the left limb 8 of the lock cramp 4. The material bridge 10 is then pushed into the notch 11 in the said limb 8. The lock may subsequently be stressed with an additional force of several thousands of kilograms without breakage of the lock.

It is to be understood that difierent embodiments of the invention may vary. It is obvious that the locking element 3 may consist of several pieces in succession. The locking ball may be placed on the side of the limb 8 of the lock cramp and the bridge of material 10 on the side of the limb 5.

A lock according to the present invention is at least as strong as a lock having two locking balls, that is, in which both limbs of the lock cramp are locked with the aid of a ball. However, a lock according to the invention is less expensive and smaller in size because it lacks one of the two balls and consequently no space need be provided for it in the lock case.

I claim:

1. In a padlock, a lock case, a lock cylinder inside the case which can be turned with the aid of a key, a lock cramp having limbs located on either side of the cylinder,

a locking ball located between one limb and the cylinder, the ball being pushed into a notch in said limb when the cylinder is turned to the locking position; the improvement comprising a locking element at the same height as the locking ball passing through the cylinder, said element having an end adjacent the ball protruding from the cylinder so that when the cylinder is turned to the locking position said element will push the ball into said notch, a bridge of deformable material between the cylinder and the other limb of the lock cramp, said element having an opposite end resting against said bridge,

said other limb having a notch at the same height as the locking element.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,722,525 7/ 1929 Junkunc 7038 3,143,872 8/1964 Check 70-38 3,187,525 6/1965 Dies 70-38 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

EDWARD J. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner. 

